


The Life We Dream

by PhantomFlutist



Category: Super Junior, Super Junior-M
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-18
Updated: 2014-11-18
Packaged: 2018-02-26 05:15:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2639453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomFlutist/pseuds/PhantomFlutist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"In the kingdom of Zhou, in Northern China, more than a thousand years ago...." A broken-hearted man has an elaborate dream, one where he's actually happy, and all he wants is to keep dreaming and never wake up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Life We Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Got the idea for this from a section of my history book on ancient China. I hope you enjoy it!

 

In the kingdom of Zhou, in Northern China, more than a thousand years ago, lived a great Emperor. He ruled his people with a strict, but gentle manner, and peasants and nobles alike were happy and prosperous under his reign.

The Emperor also had a son, whose name was Zhou Mi. Zhou Mi was kind and gentle, he smiled much and was friend to all, but even he knew that sometimes one must be strict with one's subordinates, in order that one may be followed loyally. The kingdom had high hopes for Zhou Mi's future reign.

On Zhou Mi's twenty-first birthday, his father gave him a special present. Gathered in their courtyard was a collection of slaves from the nation of Koguryo, the peninsula to the east. “Choose any one you like, my Son, for you deserve nothing but the best.”  
Zhou Mi was shocked, for his father had never condoned the owning of slaves; but seeing the group of girls arrayed in front of him, he thought he knew why his father had gone against his own morals. Instead of questioning the Emperor in front of their subjects, Zhou Mi went about doing what his father had commanded.

Many of the girls were plain, their skin tanned from time in the fields, their faces rather ordinary. All had the same expression, a vying for attention from the great Prince of Zhou, a wanting to be taken from their horrible lives...except for one. There was one towards the back who had not any expression, who hid his face behind filthy hair and tried not to be noticed. Amongst all those who wanted attention, who were all women, Zhou Mi found this boy intriguing.

Zhou Mi went to him, lifted his face with thumb and forefinger beneath his chin, and gasped at what he saw. The boy was beautiful, with high cheekbones, an aristocratic nose, and a fire in his eyes that refused to falter. Even beneath the dirt and filth, Zhou Mi could see this boy for what he really was, and so he chose him.

His father looked displeased, even as he paid the slaver and sent him away, but Zhou Mi paid it no mind. He knew his father would be upset with him, but even more important than that was his need to save this boy.

\---

Zhou Mi took his new slave into his personal bedchamber and ordered the servants to prepare a bath and a set of his clothes. They did as instructed without questioning, and then he sent them away. “Get undressed,” he told the boy, as he went about testing the temperature of the water and choosing bath salts and soaps.

His slave simply stood there, confused and unsure.

Sighing, Zhou Mi went to him, lifted his face once more, and murmured in the language native to Koguryo, “I am trying to help you. My name is Zhou Mi, and I am your master now. You need a bath, and you needn't be afraid. I will do nothing to hurt you.”  
The boy avoided looking him in the eye as he murmured, “My name is Kyuhyun.” After that, he followed obediently and got into the bath, relaxing as the warm water soothed his aching body. It had been a hard trip for him, Zhou Mi was sure, and he hoped that he could offer some comfort.

Zhou Mi washed Kyuhyun's hair gently, and scrubbed his back for him. He offered him sweet-scented soaps and watched him luxuriate in the water. All too soon, the bath was done and Kyuhyun had to get out, but Zhou Mi wrapped him in a large, soft towel and dried his hair with another, smaller one. He dabbed perfumes on Kyuhyun's wrists and neck and dressed him in some of his own best silks. When he was finished, Kyuhyun looked like a prince.

There was a knock at the door. When Zhou Mi gave permission, his father's servant entered and said, “Your Highness, His Majesty the Emperor is requesting your presence in his chambers.”

Zhou Mi sighed and acceded, “Tell my father that I will come immediately.” He turned to Kyuhyun as the servant left and told him, “I'll have a servant bring you food. I'm sure you're hungry. Just relax here until I get back.”  
Kyuhyun nodded and watched him go.

Just outside his room Zhou Mi's maid Qiqi was waiting, and he turned to her briefly and ordered that food for his new slave be brought immediately. Then he continued on to meet his father.

\---

“Zhou Mi,” the Emperor said in a stern voice as his son entered, “you have greatly displeased me today. That boy was a test, which you failed. What is your explanation for this?”

Zhou Mi knelt and bowed, speaking with his forehead still to the floor. “Your Majesty, I did not intend to offend or displease you in any way. You know that I have no desire for women. I will take a wife because you ask it of me, but please do not expect me to find pleasure with other women, especially slaves. I chose the boy to be a companion to me, merely to have someone to speak to when the days get long and weary.”

“Rise, Zhou Mi,” the Emperor ordered. “These words of yours still do not please me completely, but I trust my son, and I will believe that it is as you have said. Show me your good behavior and you will be rewarded. For your recent failure, I banish you from my presence until the banquet in celebration of your birthday tonight. Do not let me see or hear of you before then.”

Zhou Mi rose, bowed once more, and murmured, “Yes, Father.” With those words, he backed out of the room.

\---

Kyuhyun was kneeling, perfectly still, on a cushion in the corner when Zhou Mi entered. There was a small table in front of him, holding a bowl of simple rice, a teapot and cup, and a pair of chopsticks. Zhou Mi gazed at it with disdain for a moment before calling for Qiqi. “Bring proper food, Qiqi,” he ordered, stern glare more than enough reprimand for her mistake. “My slave will be dining with me.”

As she left, Zhou Mi turned once more to Kyuhyun. “Rise,” he murmured, “and let me look at you.”

Kyuhyun got up obediently, his eyes downcast. He did not speak.

“Tell me, how did the second prince of Koguryo end up a slave sold in Zhou?” he asked, studying Kyuhyun's face intently. Kyuhyun tensed, wincing, and Zhou Mi shook his head. “Did you think I wouldn't recognize you? After the time that we spent together? How did this happen, Kui Xian?”

Kyuhyun hesitated, but then he spoke. “The Great Kingdom of Koguryo has no use for a second son with...less than usual tendencies. Needless to say, my parents were not particularly pleased that I was taking men to my bed. The nation mourns my unexpected murder even now. As far as the world is concerned, I no longer exist.”

Zhou Mi's hands went to Kyuhyun's shoulders. “As long as I remember you, Kui Xian, and know that you are alive, you still exist. And within these rooms, beyond the sight of my father, the court, and the servants, you are a prince. I wish we could tell them, but it could be dangerous for you. If your parents heard that you had ended up here, they may decide that their punishment was too kind. For your protection, you must keep up the guise of a slave, just for a while.”

“I understand,” Kyuhyun acceded. “I expected worse, and I am grateful that you are willing to risk yourself for me in this way.”

“Kui Xian, I would risk so much more for you. Believe me on this: the time I had with you was the happiest of my life. I would give anything to protect that happiness.” He stroked Kyuhyun's cheek briefly, as they both remembered the night they had first met.

\---

_Across the banquet hall their eyes met and held. Zhou Mi watched the foreigner with interest, wondering who he was. Zhou Mi had an unexplainable urge to speak with him, to learn his name and then to learn so much more. It startled him, this sudden acute curiosity, and the strength with which it hit him. Never had he felt anything like this before._

_Zhou Mi watched the foreigner get up and walk out. He waited for a time, and then when it was polite to do so, he took his leave and followed. It did not take long to locate the foreigner; he had found his way to the gardens, and was gazing at the trees and flowers with interest that might have been feigned._

_The moon was full and bright, and Zhou Mi could see nearly every detail of the foreigner's face as he approached. Nodding to him slightly, he introduced himself. “Hello. I'm Zhou Mi.”_

_The foreigner's nod was slightly larger, closer to a bow, as he responded, “I'm Kyuhyun.”_

_Zhou Mi smiled a breathtaking smile and murmured, “Kui Xian,” in a half-dreamy voice. Kyuhyun didn't have the heart to correct him._

_They walked together through the gardens, and when they found themselves appropriately far from and out of sight of the palace, it seemed only natural that they come together and hold each other as if they had been lovers for years. Gentle kisses had them learning things about each other that no one else knew, and when they tired, their lips red and swollen, they talked. They spoke about anything and everything, their dreams and ambitions, their fears, their favorite things. In only hours, it seemed that they had known each other for a lifetime._

\---

They gazed at each other for a long moment. There were many words unspoken and many feelings unvoiced, but their understanding of each other was, just then, greater than it had ever been.

“Come, Kui Xian,” Zhou Mi said at length, “let us eat.”

\---

After their meal, Zhou Mi stood and—summoning his servant—declared, “I wish to go out and ride this afternoon, and I wish for my slave to accompany me.” The servants at once began preparing them for the ride, and (at Zhou Mi's urging) dressed Kyuhyun in some of Zhou Mi's own riding clothes. When they were prepared, he set off for the stable with Kyuhyun just a few steps behind, his eyes lowered respectfully.

 _'How long it must have taken him to learn this behavior,'_ Zhou Mi mused to himself. _'How difficult it must be for a prince to lower himself to the station of a slave. I cannot imagine doing the same.'_

In a short time, they reached the stable. The stable boys rushed to serve him, bowing and offering their greetings. He waved away the fawning and ordered, “Choose a gentle mare for my slave to ride. I will saddle my own horse today.”

They hurried to do as he asked, and Zhou Mi smiled at Kyuhyun and then led him towards a stall where a sleek, black stallion stood pawing the ground and snuffling his excitement. He had heard his master arrive, and knew that that meant he would get to go out and run. “Not this time, Hua Jian,” Zhou Mi murmured, petting the horse's muzzle. “Kui Xian's mare won't be able to keep up. But I'll let you run next time, I promise.”

Taking some grain from the feed box and allowing Hua Jian to eat it out of the palm of his hand, Zhou Mi slipped into the stall. He took a brush from the wall, beginning to brush the stallion's coat down firmly, and gestured Kyuhyun to do the same.

Kyuhyun picked up a second brush and slipped around behind Hua Jian, patting him on the rump so that he would know Kyuhyun was there and and not kick him.

“Be careful,” Zhou Mi warned, “he's jumpy.”

Kyuhyun smiled his breathtaking smile. “I'm used to it, Master,” he replied, patting the horse idly as it tried to check his pockets for food.

“Still,” Zhou Mi murmured, idly thinking that he did not at all like it when Kyuhyun called him 'Master' in that submissive voice. “He does it because he was wild before I tamed him. He used to run free, but now he only gets to run when I let him.”

“It seems to me anyone would be discontent to be made captive in such a manner, Master. Not allowed to act, or feel, or love as he wishes....” Kyuhyun trailed off, staring hard at his brush as he worked.

“Oh, Kui Xian,” Zhou Mi whispered, but the younger man did not look up, nor reply.

\---

They left the palace walls and took the trails out into the forest, and then Zhou Mi led them along tiny, dirt paths not usually traversed by humans. Kyuhyun looked confused, but didn't ask where they were going.

Soon they found themselves in a small clearing, with plenty of bright green grass and a clear brook splitting it exactly in half. They put the horses on picket lines to graze, then crossed over the brook to the other side. Laying on his back and observing the soft, white clouds that drifted slowly across the sky, Zhou Mi asked, “Are you really alright with this?”

Kyuhyun lay down next to him and murmured, “With what?”

“With pretending to be my slave. With not being who we really are to each other. With your family despising you and your people thinking you dead.”

Kyuhyun turned onto his side, propped himself up on one elbow and replied, “I am alright with all but one of those things,” then leaned over and kissed Zhou Mi.

Zhou Mi responded eagerly, pulling Kyuhyun on top of him and wrapping long, thin arms around Kyuhyun's waist.

As Kyuhyun ended the kiss, he smirked and whispered, “Let me please you, Master.”

“Oh fuck,” Zhou Mi whined pitifully, the most embarrassing sound he'd ever made emitting from his throat. “Please don't call me that.”  
He was only given another smirk as Kyuhyun slid down his body.

\---

Zhou Mi awoke with a start. “Kui Xian, I just had the weirdest dream,” he said, looking to the other side of the bed. Suddenly his face fell, his shoulders drooped, and he sighed. _'That's right,'_ he thought. _'He's not here anymore. He left you, Zhou Mi, remember? He left because you couldn't get your shit together.'_

Getting up, he wandered out to the living room and just looked. The desk that had been Kyuhyun's had only a clean square in the middle where the dust hadn't reached before, and the shelf beside it was missing all of Kyuhyun's books. Everywhere in the house, little things were wrong: his favorite mug missing from its hook next to Zhou Mi's, Kyuhyun's side of the closet suddenly full of only hangers, and the six alarm clocks it took to wake Kyuhyun in the morning gone from their places in the bedroom.

Zhou Mi tried to ignore the strangeness as he prepared for work, but he could only close himself off to it so much. He was glad to leave the apartment, and tried not to miss Kyuhyun's voice calling, “Don't make a fool of yourself today!”

\---

Work was similarly difficult, sitting down in the cubicle he shared with Han Geng and being asked, “How are you?” Zhou Mi didn't know how to reply to that question, knew he should just say 'fine' and be done with it, but he couldn't quite bring himself to lie to his friend, and so he pretended that he hadn't heard.

Zhou Mi couldn't focus on his work all day. If asked right then, he wouldn't even be able to tell someone what his job was. He knew he needed to let it go and get his life back together, but he didn't seem to be able to. Maybe he should take some time off...no, Kyuhyun would be mad at him. But then again, Kyuhyun wasn't here to yell at him, either, was he?

He didn't end up requesting time off, but by lunch he was considering it again, especially when he realized that he hadn't packed himself anything to eat, and he wouldn't have any money to go out until he got his next paycheck. Giving up and planting his head on his folded arms on his desk, Zhou Mi wished he could just go back to his dreamworld. At least he had had Kyuhyun there.

\---

They laid side-by-side on the grass, panting and smiling like idiots. Zhou Mi had never felt this happy, not even the first night he met Kyuhyun. He wished it could stay like this forever. But of course, all good things must come to an end.

Kyuhyun peered up at the sky, noting that the sun was much lower than it had been. “We should probably head back, or they'll send someone to look for us.”

Zhou Mi sighed his reluctant agreement, and they went to wash up in the stream. Before collecting the horses, Zhou Mi gave Kyuhyun one last, lingering kiss. Then they rode back toward the palace and their 'proper' roles in life.

\---

As soon as they returned to his rooms, Zhou Mi called for the royal tailor. Kyuhyun must have his own clothes, of course, and Zhou Mi was inclined to give him whatever he wished.

As the tailor fussed over Kyuhyun, taking his measurements and mumbling about what styles would be best, Zhou Mi reclined against his pillows and ordered, “You will use the best silks, naturally?” He made it sound almost like a question, but the royal tailor—who had been with his family for more than forty years—knew better than to take it as one.

“Your Highness,” he stammered apologetically, “are you sure that you wish for me to...use...the best silks on clothing for a slave?” He purposefully skipped over the word 'waste,' but Zhou Mi was smart enough to hear what was unsaid.

“Very well,” Zhou Mi said, sounding very put-out. “The best cotton from Egypt will have to suffice, then.” Kyuhyun would be more comfortable in cotton anyway, for it was already promising to be a very hot summer, though it was barely spring.

The tailor knew there would be no sense in arguing with the Prince when he was determined to have his way, so he merely bowed his head in acknowledgement and continued his work.

“Something in blue for the banquet,” Zhou Mi added thoughtfully. “I want him to look good behind me. After all, he is my gift from the Emperor.”

The tailor left shortly after, promising to have the requested clothing prepared for that night, and then Kyuhyun sank slowly into the pillows beside Zhou Mi. “Are you sure this is wise?” he asked softly, knowing there could be more servants nearby.

Zhou Mi, sipping a cup of tea and looking uncertain, replied, “No. There are going to be all manner of dignitaries at the banquet, and any one of them could recognize you. But I do not think that they will.”

“And why is that?” Kyuhyun murmured, reaching to pour more tea for Zhou Mi and then a cup for himself.

“Because, for one, you are supposed to be dead. They will assume that any resemblance is coincidental. But that is assuming that they'll recognize you in the first place, which requires having looked at you when last you were here.” Zhou Mi set down the tea, turning his head away. “That they don't even respect your people enough for that astounds me. Just because you are different...barbarians, they call you. But I see no difference between you and any of my people. In fact, compared to many of the lords you are a far better choice.” He ran a hand angrily through his hair, huffing.

“Zhou Mi....” Kyuhyun's hand to his arm, that gentle whisper of his name, and suddenly Zhou Mi didn't care about any of it. He just wanted to hold Kyuhyun. He settled for grasping the other man's hand with his own, and they sat thus for long moments.

\---

“Hey, Zhou Mi. You should eat something.”

Zhou Mi groaned and sat up. He'd fallen asleep sitting at his desk, and now his neck hurt something awful. But he'd had the dream again. Han Geng was standing over him, holding a box of milk and half a sandwich. Zhou Mi had no idea where it had come from, but he took it with hurried thanks and ate greedily.

Han Geng sat down at his own desk, and Zhou Mi turned to look at him as he said, “How are you, Zhou Mi? And don't pretend you didn't hear this time.”

Zhou Mi sighed, shrugged, then ran a hand through his hair. “I'll be okay,” he replied, which was only a slight lie. The truth was that he didn't know how he was, and he didn't know if he would ever be okay. Without Kyuhyun....

“Is there anything I can do for you right now?” Han Geng asked, ever the mother hen.

Sighing again and shaking his head, Zhou Mi murmured, “I don't think there's really anything anyone can do for me, Ge. I just need time to heal, you know?”

“I know,” Han Geng said, and he really seemed to understand.

“There's one thing I could use right now, though.” Zhou Mi looked at Han Geng plaintively and held out his arms.

Laughing, Han Geng stepped forward to give him a hug.

\---

Zhou Mi dropped his bag on the floor just inside the doorway, ignored the phantom Kyuhyun-voice that welcomed him home, and collapsed face-first into the sofa. He didn't want to do anything, even though he knew he should eat, and then shower. But he was so exhausted....

\---

The palace's banquet hall was lit up with a thousand rice-paper lanterns and decorated with more than fifty thousand flowers. There were hundreds of lords and dignitaries in attendance, and Zhou Mi found himself uninterested. What he wanted was to go back to his room and eat a quiet meal with Kyuhyun, but he knew he had to appear at the banquet, or his father would have more reason to punish him.

As his presence was announced, Zhou Mi entered the hall and strode up the path between the two long rows of tables. Everyone bowed to him, their foreheads touching the floor, and he barely acknowledged them, as befit his status. When he reached the front and stood next to his father, he ordered, “Rise,” and they did. As he sat, with Kyuhyun settling on a pillow just behind and to the side of him, that was when the staring started. Of course, they tried not to make it too obvious, but everyone in the court was curious about the slave-boy that the Prince had chosen.

Kyuhyun was an oddity, that was for sure. Boys weren't meant to be personal slaves, but to work in the fields, or some other menial labor. What could be so special about this one that the Prince had seen fit to take him in? One by one the courtesans and dignitaries got a look at Kyuhyun's face, and the whispering started. Zhou Mi could hear very little of it, but some of those closest were audible.

“He's so handsome.”

“The Prince must have chosen him as a companion for his looks.”

“Is that Egyptian cotton he's wearing?”

“His Highness must favor him.”

“To be a slave of the Prince is more glamorous than to be the lord of a lower house.”

The Emperor leaned slightly nearer to Zhou Mi and murmured, “Your new slave is causing a riot.”

Zhou Mi bowed slightly in apology, replied, “I apologize, Your Majesty,” then turned a little towards Kyuhyun, who immediately perked up in anticipation of a command. “Kui Xian,” Zhou Mi whispered, his lips barely moving, “bow your head and hide your face behind your hair. You're distracting our guests.”

Kyuhyun bowed right away, one hand reaching behind his head to loose the tie holding his dark brown locks together at the nape of his neck. As waves of silky, dark hair spilled around his face, more tittering began, and Zhou Mi noticed Kyuhyun frown.

“It's alright.” Zhou Mi dared not touch Kyuhyun with his father so near, but he leaned a little closer, hoping just his presence would help. “Nothing they say can touch you here.” His words were barely a whisper, but he knew that Kyuhyun heard, because the frown relaxed and he stared calmly at the hem of Zhou Mi's clothes.

 _'That's right, Kui Xian,'_ Zhou Mi thought proudly, _'Just pretend that we're not here, and it will soon be over.'_

Course after course was brought out. Duck, sparrow, oysters, piles of vegetables, and pitchers of drink, until Zhou Mi was so full he felt sick. But he was expected to eat of each dish, and so he continued putting each bite in slowly with his chopsticks, even after it became an effort to do so.

Every time Zhou Mi's cup was emptied, Kyuhyun slid forward slightly, picked up the decanter, and poured him another. When the decanter was empty, one of the serving staff would whisk it away and replace it with another, which would be tasted by another servant standing by for that purpose before it was put to Zhou Mi's lips. This was done to prevent poisoning, and though Zhou Mi knew it was necessity, he still found it tedious and boring.

When the feast ended, it was time for the guests to present their gifts to the Prince. Zhou Mi tried to look pleased and gracious as he accepted more gold and gems and useless but decorative items than he could ever use in one lifetime.

\---

When it was all over, and Zhou Mi was finally able to return to his chambers and collapse onto his bed, he thought he was going to die. But then he remembered Kyuhyun, and worried how he had handled it all...and remembered that while Zhou Mi had been eating himself sick, Kyuhyun hadn't had anything to eat at all. “I'll call a servant to bring you something--” Zhou Mi began, but Kyuhyun cut him off with a finger to his lips.

“I'm not hungry,” he murmured, his hands going to the tie of Zhou Mi's garment, “and you look exhausted. Let's get you in the bath, Master.”  
Zhou Mi shuddered in revulsion at being addressed as such again, but gratefully allowed Kyuhyun to divest him of his clothing and lead him into the other room, where a steaming bath had already been drawn. He slipped into the water and moaned, sinking deeper and allowing the heat to loosen muscles stiff from continuous perfect posture.

Kyuhyun gently massaged soap into Zhou Mi's hair, caressing his scalp as he washed.

“I've missed you, Kui Xian,” Zhou Mi sighed, his eyes closed in pleasure.

As he slipped into sleep, Zhou Mi thought he heard Kyuhyun say, “You need to let me go, Zhou Mi.”

\---

It was morning again. He'd slept all night on the couch, and it had taken a toll on his back, but he got up and got ready for work anyway. A shower, because he'd missed it last night, and then breakfast, and he even remembered to pack a lunch. Ignoring the words that should have been there worked some of the time, and when it didn't he just tried not to cry. It was his own fault that Kyuhyun was gone, and crying about it wasn't going to bring him back.

Zhou Mi washed his breakfast dishes, put on his shoes, and went to work. He greeted Han Geng as he always did, smiled at everyone he passed in the halls, and did his work as efficiently as ever. He didn't want Han Geng to worry, and he didn't want anyone to see what a mess he was.

At work, he didn't think about the dreams. But when he got home, exhausted from a day of pretending that he was okay, suddenly they were the only thing on his mind. He skipped dinner, forced himself through a shower, and fell into bed, feeling sweet fantasy calling his name.

\---

After his bath, Kyuhyun helped Zhou Mi into his sleeping clothes, and then drew back the covers and helped him into bed. “Come lay with me, Kui Xian,” Zhou Mi whispered, but Kyuhyun shook his head, tucked Zhou Mi in, and then slipped back into the bathing room to prepare himself for bed. Zhou Mi laid in the dark for several long minutes, listening to Kyuhyun's nighttime noises in the other room.

Finally Kyuhyun emerged, pulled a pillow and a blanket from a cupboard at the side of the room, and laid down on the floor beside the bed.  
“Kui Xian, get up here,” Zhou Mi insisted, but Kyuhyun refused to even reply. So Zhou Mi slipped out from beneath the warm covers, took a pillow with him, and stretched out on the floor next to Kyuhyun. “Share that blanket with me.”

“What are you doing?” Kyuhyun demanded, turning to him. “You have a perfectly good bed.”

“I'm sleeping with you, dummy,” Zhou Mi replied, tugging at the blanket. “Since you won't sleep on the bed with me....”

Kyuhyun let him have the blanket, flabbergasted. “You're the dummy. What are the servants going to think when they find us together in the morning?”

“Whatever they want...?” Zhou Mi curled up next to Kyuhyun, snuggling into his warmth.

“You have clearly had too much wine tonight. Come on.” Rolling his eyes, Kyuhyun stood and pulled Zhou Mi up, depositing him in bed and pulling the covers over him. “Stay in bed. You'll get in trouble if we're found like that. Now sleep.”

Zhou Mi mumbled something grumpy, but eventually started to drift off again. The last things he remembered were gentle lips pressing to his forehead and the rustle of blankets.

\---

“Good morning, Your Highness.” Sunlight flooded the room as screens were slid open. Zhou Mi groaned and rolled over, burying his head in his pillows.

“It's time to wake up, Master,” a sweet baritone voice announced, as hands gently pulled blankets away from his body. If Zhou Mi hadn't loved that voice, he would probably have killed its owner. Instead, he slowly sat himself up and ran a tired hand over his face.

“Breakfast is served, Your Highness,” Qiqi informed, bowing to him as he acknowledged her. He stood, wandering slowly towards the bathing room.

“Thank you, Qiqi. I'll be right there. Kui Xian, help me with my clothes?” He knew that the look he shot Kyuhyun—behind Qiqi's back—was pleading, but he didn't care right then. He wanted to spend some time with his lover, even if they couldn't do anything without being found out.

“Yes, Master,” Kyuhyun replied, bowing and moving to the cupboard that held Zhou Mi's clothes. Zhou Mi watched him carefully choose an outfit, pile the clothes in a neat stack, and carry them towards the bathing room. He noted that Kyuhyun was already dressed, and that his makeshift bed had already been cleared, and then Kyuhyun was asking, “Will these be suitable, Master?”

Zhou Mi barely glanced at what Kyuhyun was holding before he said, “Yes, that will do fine,” and disappeared through the doorway. Kyuhyun followed him, closing the door behind them, and carefully set the clothes down. Then he sidled up to Zhou Mi, gave him a mischievous Kyuhyun smile, and leaned up for a quick kiss. When he pulled away Zhou Mi tried to follow, to continue the kiss, but Kyuhyun hopped back with a smirk and pointed him towards the task at hand, and Zhou Mi reluctantly obeyed.

Leave it to his slave to have him tamed.

\---

As they ate breakfast, Qiqi reported Zhou Mi's schedule. “Studies this morning, Your Highness, and a meeting with His Majesty and the royal advisors. In the afternoon you have archery, and then sword training. And Her Majesty the Empress requests your presence for the evening meal.”

“Very well,” Zhou Mi acceded. “You are dismissed, Qiqi.”

She bowed and left, and Zhou Mi turned to Kyuhyun, smiling.

“What?” Kyuhyun asked softly.

Zhou Mi leaned in close and spoke in a bare whisper. “I love you.”

Kyuhyun shook his head, but his smile belied his true feelings. “Eat,” he insisted, and Zhou Mi picked up his chopsticks again, chose a piece of chicken, and held it up for Kyuhyun to eat. Kyuhyun tried to refuse, but Zhou Mi was persistent, and eventually Kyuhyun glanced around briefly and then leaned forward to accept the food.

Zhou Mi's smile was brighter than the sun, and Kyuhyun looked pleased that he had been able to put that look on Zhou Mi's face.

All too soon it was time for them to return to their proper roles, and Zhou Mi reluctantly allowed Kyuhyun to fall into step behind him as they walked toward his study. His tutor was already there, and barely glanced at Kyuhyun as he settled in the corner, out of the way. Zhou Mi and the tutor began reviewing old royal decrees and discussing the reasoning in making them, and Kyuhyun sat quiet and still behind them, even his breathing soft and shallow.

It wasn't until several minutes later that Kun Ling, Zhou Mi's tutor, said in the language of Koguryo, “Are you sure it was wise to bring that boy here, Your Highness?”

Zhou Mi blinked at him, and replied in the same language, “Whatever do you mean, Kun Ling?”

“I mean,” his tutor continued, setting a new paper on Zhou Mi's writing desk as if they were still studying, “that things could get difficult for you if anyone were to discover that you held the second prince of Koguryo as your slave, Highness.”

Zhou Mi chuckled, partly to throw off anyone who may be listening and partly to calm Kyuhyun, who had gone tense behind him. “I'm aware of the dangers. But Kyuhyun is important, and his parents must not discover where he is. For all they know, he is laboring in some field right now.”

Kun Ling's face grew studious, and he turned slightly to the side to observe Kyuhyun out of the corner of his eye. “It was no accident that he came to be here, then. You must be careful, though, Your Highness. Many people saw him last night. Any one of them could have recognized him.”

“They did not. I would bet my life on it.”

“I hope that is not necessary, Highness.”

\---

An alarm clock. Zhou Mi flung an arm out haphazardly to shut off the noise, and then pulled himself from bed. He got ready for work, and managed to get himself to the train in time. As he fell into his desk chair, Han Geng came up behind him and set a cup of coffee on the desk in front of him. “You look exhausted,” he said, turning back to his own desk. “I figured you could use it.”

Zhou Mi didn't tell him that he was sleeping more now than before Kyuhyun had left him. Instead, he simply said, “Thanks, Ge,” and drank the coffee. It kept him going until lunch, but as he ate his sandwich (noting in his head that he really needed to go grocery shopping) he felt the fatigue weighing him down again, and with a half-hour left before he had to get back to work, he laid his head down on the desk and slept.

\---

The meeting with his father was almost painless. When he first arrived, after he had bowed to the Emperor and been acknowledged, his father asked conversationally, “How are you liking your birthday gift?”

Zhou Mi looked up, startled, then answered slowly, “He has been a wonderful companion so far. He is learning the rules of the house quickly, and he has found his place. He will be a good man-servant.”

His father nodded, seeming pleased. “He was a good choice, then. I'm glad.”  
There was no more talk of it, and then the advisors arrived and their meeting began, and there was no time for idle chit-chat.

\---

Lunch with Kyuhyun in his rooms, smiling and laughing, and holding hands under the table. This was how they were meant to be: loving, loved, maybe not perfect on their own, but fitting perfectly together. How could it be wrong to be with another man like this, to hold him, to share his hopes and dreams, and every aspect of his life with him? Zhou Mi knew he would be expected to produce an heir, but every fiber of his being seemed to gravitate towards Kyuhyun.

“If only I weren't a prince,” he murmured in Kyuhyun's language, gazing into Kyuhyun's eyes.

“If only the sun rose in the west and set in the east,” Kyuhyun countered, seeming amused. “There is nothing you can do about your birthright.”

“But if only there were a way for me to have both you and an heir.”

“If that were possible, then I would not be a slave.”

Zhou Mi heard the logic in Kyuhyun's words, and perhaps because of that they were even more painful to hear. Instead he focused on spending what time he could with Kyuhyun, and caressed the younger man's palm gently as they ate.

\---

Zhou Mi enjoyed archery well enough, when he wasn't required to kill things. He had always been a bit squeamish, which his father had spent many years trying to force out of him. He had never completely succeeded, but now Zhou Mi could hunt with the best, even though he did not enjoy it. Still, archery was often one of his favorite activities of the day, and he had spent many hours in front of a target venting his frustrations when something wasn't going right.

But today was special, because Kyuhyun was behind him, quietly watching his every move. The way he held the arrows, how he drew back the bow, his posture and breathing when he released the string all suddenly meant so much more because Kyuhyun was there. He knew that Kyuhyun was an accomplished archer, because they had discussed it, but it wasn't only that. He worried that Kyuhyun's view of him was as a great prince, skilled in all areas, and that he would be disappointed in Zhou Mi if he didn't live up to those expectations.

So with every arrow he loosed, Zhou Mi became increasingly agitated, until he was so tense that as he drew back the bow to shoot, his bowstring suddenly snapped. Shocked, Zhou Mi could do nothing but stand there as servants ran to his aid, taking the bow from his lax fingers and inspecting him for damage. But Kyuhyun was right there in front of him, had gotten there before anyone else, and carefully lifted Zhou Mi's right hand. “Master, you're hurt.”

Zhou Mi looked down to the hand Kyuhyun was holding and discovered that he was right. Blood dripped slowly from two of his fingers, and Zhou Mi had only just realized it when Kyuhyun had already accepted bandages from another servant and was wrapping them firmly around the injured digits. “You shouldn't go to sword practice today, Master. You will not be able to hold a sword with your hand like this.”  
Zhou Mi shook his head. “I have to go, of course. It is important to keep up my training.”

Kyuhyun dipped his head in deference to him, but murmured, “Master, I do not wish for you to injure yourself further.”

It was then that Zhou Mi realized that Kyuhyun had known all along what his presence was doing to Zhou Mi, and that he blamed himself for Zhou Mi's wound. “It's not your fault, Kui Xian. I was careless, and I should have known that my bowstring was too tight. I will be fine.”

Kyuhyun kept his head bowed and tensed further, and Zhou Mi knew it was going to take more convincing than that to show Kyuhyun that he was not at fault. But Zhou Mi couldn't do anything more than he had without arousing suspicion, so he dismissed the hovering servants, sent one to tell his sword instructor that he would be unable to attend his lesson today, and called for Kyuhyun to follow him as he returned to his room.

As soon as they were within the room, Zhou Mi did something that he had never dared to do inside the palace. He dismissed all the servants, claiming that he would like to rest, closed all the doors, and then took Kyuhyun into his arms and just held him. Words would come later, when Kyuhyun was certain that Zhou Mi was fine.

“It was just a bowstring, Zhou Mi. I'm upset with myself for letting you get hurt, not fearful for your life,” Kyuhyun muttered into his shoulder. Still, his arms were firm around Zhou Mi's waist.

“I'm fine, Kui Xian. It was not your fault, it was my own.”

“But I saw what was happening. I should have said something.” Kyuhyun pulled away, looking at Zhou Mi's face as if he were trying to display the truth in his eyeballs so that Zhou Mi would understand.

“Out there, you're a slave. What could you have done?” Zhou Mi tried to embrace Kyuhyun again, but the younger man was having none of it.

\---

“ZHOU MI!”

Zhou Mi jerked awake, his elbow knocking into the edge of the desk. He hissed, clutching his injured limb and turning to gaze pitifully at Han Geng. “What, Ge? I was having a good dream.”

“Have wet dreams on your own time, Zhou Mi. You're supposed to be working right now.” Han Geng set another cup of coffee—this time from the coffee pot in the break room, instead of from Starbucks—in Zhou Mi's hand, then turned back to his own desk.

Zhou Mi took it (what choice did he have?) and glanced at the clock. Han Geng was right; he should have been back to work ten minutes ago. “Sorry, Ge,” he apologized. “Next time I take a nap during lunch I'll set an alarm.”

Han Geng nodded in acknowledgement and went back to his work, and Zhou Mi sipped his coffee and decided that he should do some work of his own.

\---

He wandered the grocery-store aisles and wondered if it was worth it. He was so tired, he was tempted to go back home without any food and just go straight to bed. But he picked out a few more things—enough food for breakfasts and packed lunches for a few more days, though he didn't have a lot of money left until he got paid—and then trudged over to the check-out line.

There were several people ahead of him, and he waited patiently while a high school boy and an old woman had their purchases rung up, and then a man stepped up with a basket on his arm, and Zhou Mi froze. There had been a young woman between them in line, and Zhou Mi hadn't really been looking, so he hadn't noticed until now, but there he was. “Kui Xian....”

His words were a bare whisper, but the other man turned anyway, and Zhou Mi got a look at his thin, gaunt face, and the giant dark circles under his eyes. But the worst part was that Kyuhyun glanced at him and then looked away as if he didn't recognize him. As if he didn't matter to Kyuhyun.

It was an effort to stay standing as Kyuhyun paid and left, to wait patiently while the young woman ahead of him did the same, and then finally to get his own purchases onto the counter and to get out the money to hand to the cashier. He took his bag and stumbled back to his apartment, wishing he could have at least said hello to Kyuhyun, or asked how he was.

Bed was looking more and more appealing, and when Zhou Mi entered his apartment he took the bag of groceries to the kitchen, shoved the whole thing in the fridge, and then went to shower before he could change his mind.

\---

The fight was over, and Zhou Mi couldn't remember how it had ended, but they seemed to have made up, because he was lounging on his bed reading a book out loud and Kyuhyun was curled up with his head in Zhou Mi's lap, listening contentedly.  
  
Soon enough he would have to get dressed for dinner with his mother, but until then he would enjoy being with Kyuhyun like this. How often would he be allowed this? Not enough, especially if his father found out. He did not have nearly enough moments with Kyuhyun, and it was haunting him, knowing that someday their time would run out and he would be alone again. Before he had been alone by choice, but eventually he could be alone because the man he loved would be forcibly taken from him, and he wondered if he would be able to survive that.  
  
But it didn't bear thinking about until that time was upon them, and so Zhou Mi instead committed to memory the solid feeling of Kyuhyun's head on his leg, the gentle sounds of his breathing, the very smell of Kyuhyun. He might need those memories in the future, and he intended to have as many of them as possible.  
  
Footsteps, and then a knock at the door. Kyuhyun sat up immediately and Zhou Mi called for the visitor to enter, sighing as Qiqi opened the door. “I suppose it is time to prepare for dinner?”  
  
She bowed, replying, “Yes, Your Highness.”  
  
He got up with some reluctance and moved to get ready, disappointment flooding him that his special time with Kyuhyun was past. Kyuhyun's eyes seemed to reflect the same sentiment, and Zhou Mi nearly dismissed Qiqi and went back to the bed, and dash all the consequences. But he knew that he had an obligation to his parents and to his people, and that he needed to become the prince, and someday the king, that they required, which included visiting his mother when she called for him.  
  
\---  
  
“You disappointed your father greatly yesterday, Zhou Mi.”  
  
He sighed, taking a tiny sip of tea. His mother did not drink wine, and could not stomach anyone drinking it in front of her. “I know, Mother. But I think you understand why I did it.”  
  
She graced him with one of her tiny closed-mouth smiles. “That does not mean that you should have done it against your father's wishes, my child.”  
  
He gazed down at his tea, swirling the cup slightly to watch the waves it caused. “What could I have done?” he mused, his voice soft.  
  
She touched his hand and guided it back down to the table, where he set the teacup down, and then she lifted his chin. “Zhou Mi, you are a good man, and you will make a wonderful emperor. But until that time comes, you must defer to your father in all things. He is your master just as surely as you are Kyuhyun's.” Her hands shook, Zhou Mi saw, and he wondered from where this sudden uncertainty had come, in his usually confident mother.  
  
“Mother...,” he murmured, clasping her hand tightly in both of his. “Are you so afraid of father?”  
  
“I do not fear the emperor, Zhou Mi. I fear for your future. Please do nothing to earn you the same fate as your slave boy.” Zhou Mi had never seen his mother plead for anything, but here she was begging him not to do anything to offend his father.  
  
He felt like the worst son ever as he responded, “I am not sure I can do that, Mother.”  
  
Tears welled in her eyes, and she pulled her hand away from his. “Why can you not do this one thing for me, child? All I ask for is your filial obedience.”  
  
Zhou Mi shook his head as he stood and bowed to her. “I cannot promise that, Mother, because love makes men do foolish things. But I promise you that I will do everything in my power to remain your son.”  
  
Zhou Mi heard his mother's heartbroken wail as he left the room, and he shed tears of his own, but he could not take back the words he had spoken, nor would he if he had the chance. He knew he would give everything up in a heartbeat for Kyuhyun.  
  
\---  
  
“What? You should have promised! How could you break your mother's heart like that?” Kyuhyun demanded after Zhou Mi told him what had happened at dinner.  
  
Zhou Mi shushed him hurriedly, arms waving frantically. “Don't raise your voice, the servants will hear! Anyway, what else could I have done? I can't make a promise like that and then have to give you up because of it!”  
  
Kyuhyun shook his head and sunk back down onto his cushion next to Zhou Mi. “There is still time to fix this. Tell her that you'll give me up if required. Tell her that you'll do everything your father says from now on.”  
  
“I can't do that.”  
  
“Why not?” Kyuhyun asked, glaring at Zhou Mi.  
  
Zhou Mi sighed and wrapped Kyuhyun in his arms. “Because even if it requires giving up my kingdom, I will keep you.”  
  
Kyuhyun pulled from his embrace and stalked across the room, settling in the corner where he had sat on his first day there. “You are a fool. Forget about me and be happy, Zhou Mi.”  
  
Zhou Mi's smile was wry and wane as he shook his head and responded, “Those two requests contradict each other, Kui Xian.”  
  
Kyuhyun crossed his arms and sat silent in the corner, and Zhou Mi did not attempt to convince Kyuhyun to rejoin him at the table.  
  
\---  
  
For the next few days, Kyuhyun followed him as a silent shadow. He spoke only when asked a direct question, and he was the perfect servant, but he would not allow Zhou Mi to touch him. When Zhou Mi reached out even a hand to touch his shoulder, Kyuhyun shrank back from it. Everything in Zhou Mi ached for the closeness that had been theirs just days ago, but Kyuhyun seemed determined to end it.  
  
 _'He does this all for my sake,'_ Zhou Mi thought to himself, watching Kyuhyun as he sat on the floor beside his tiny table and ate rice and the one vegetable dish that he had accepted at Zhou Mi's continued insistence. Zhou Mi couldn't help but watch Kyuhyun's hands. They were so elegant, and he wielded his chopsticks decisively, like a prince. _'Because he is a prince,'_   Zhou Mi had to remind himself.  _'And yet, because of me he has become a slave, the lowest rank he could possibly have.'_  
  
Zhou Mi felt his heart swell with love, and he couldn't help but murmur, “Kyuhyun, I'm sorry.”  
  
Kyuhyun shook his head and set down his dish, then he looked up at Zhou Mi, for the first time in a week, and said, “If you're truly sorry, then give me up and live a good life.”  
  
Zhou Mi felt tears prick his eyes. “I can't live without you, Kui Xian. You can't tell me to give you up.”  
  
“The only way we can be together is in death, Zhou Mi, and I won't ask that of you.” Kyuhyun's eyes were full of unimaginable pain, and he quickly looked down at his hands to mask his expression.  
  
Zhou Mi rose, crossing the room to kneel in front of Kyuhyun and cover those elegant, slim hands with his own. “Kui Xian. I would follow you to the grave a thousand times and then not think twice if you asked me to follow you another. I **love**  you.”  
  
The way Zhou Mi emphasized the word “love” made Kyuhyun shiver, but he stayed stubborn. “This is why it never works out, Zhou Mi! We're not actually meant to be together. Every single time, no matter how much I try to stop it, we always end up doing something stupidly romantic that gets one or both of us killed. Wake up, Zhou Mi!” Kyuhyun's screams were terrible and frightening, the grief of a thousand ages seeming to seep through his voice.  
  
“Kui Xian, I don't understand. None of this makes any sense.” Zhou Mi floundered, gripping Kyuhyun's shoulders and trying to calm him.  
  
Kyuhyun reached out and slapped Zhou Mi once, soundly, shouting again, “WAKE UP!”  
  
\---  
  
Zhou Mi shot upright, his breathing erratic and his heart going a mile a minute. “What is it? What's wrong?” he asked, looking frantically around him. His apartment, his bed, his...Kyuhyun. “Kui Xian!” he gasped, taking hold of Kyuhyun's shoulders and pulling him in, hugging him until he was sure Kyuhyun couldn't breathe and then hugging him some more.  
  
Kyuhyun eventually got him to let go, and when he did there was a stern look on his face. “What exactly do you think you've been doing?”  
  
“Um, sleeping, working, eating, sleeping some more? Isn't that what most people do?” Zhou Mi's face screwed up in a comical pout, wondering why Kyuhyun was interrogating him when all he wanted to do was wrap up in their blankets together and never ever get up again.  
  
“You've been asleep for a week, Zhou Mi. Your work called and asked me if you were dead because I'm still listed as your emergency contact. What were you thinking, going in without any idea of what you're doing?” Kyuhyun was making his so-angry-I'm-not-going-to-talk-to-you-for-a-week face, and Zhou Mi couldn't even figure out why.  
  
“Sorry I didn't change that, but what are you talking about? Going in where?”  
  
“Oh my god, you don't even know,” Kyuhyun realized, his eyes wide. Then he planted his face in the mattress and wailed, “Why did I fall in love with the biggest idiot ever?”  
  
“Kui Xian?” Zhou Mi asked nervously. “Whatever I did...I'm sorry.”  
  
Kyuhyun sighed as he straightened. “You're not dreaming, Zhou Mi. That place you're going...it's a real place, in a real time hundreds or thousands of years ago, and those are really our previous incarnations.”  
  
“Our  _what_?” Zhou Mi asked incredulously. “Are you alright, Kui Xian?”  
  
“Yes, unfortunately,” Kyuhyun answered. “And it's simple. We're...what the people used to consider gods, of a sort—really lesser gods. But anyway...we did something that pissed off Mother Nature, and she decided to punish us. She made us mortal, and doomed us to spend eternity in love, but unable to be together.”  
  
“What does that mean? You said my dreams were really us.”  
  
“Every single time, we manage to find each other, fall in love, and then either be torn apart, or as we seem to prefer, die together in a dramatic way. We've never been happy.”  
  
“So why can I go back? You've done it before?”  
  
“I thought they were just dreams of our past life, at first. That's how I learned who we really are. But soon I realized that I could control myself, that I wasn't just watching. And so I tried to fix it. I must have attempted a hundred different ways of making us able to be together, but it never worked. So then I tried making it so that we never met in the first place.”  
  
“But that didn't work either,” Zhou Mi surmised.  
  
Kyuhyun nodded. “Right. Half the time I got there too late, anyway. So now, I'm just trying to make us separate and live happily without each other. But you're messing it up.”  
  
Zhou Mi winced. “Sorry. I thought that if I couldn't have you here, then at least in my dream...wait, is that why you left me?”  
  
Kyuhyun could only nod again, his eyes fixed on Zhou Mi's as if waiting for him to figure something out.  
  
“But we were happy, so maybe we're not cursed anymore? Maybe Mother Nature decided that we'd been punished enough.” Zhou Mi bounced hopefully, his throat burning nervously as he wondered what Kyuhyun's answer would be.  
  
“No, I don't think so,” Kyuhyun sighed.  
  
“What?” Zhou Mi squeaked unhappily. “Why not?”  
  
Kyuhyun stood wearily and lifted his shirt, showing Zhou Mi the long scar that ran across part his chest. “Lung cancer. That's the scar from the biopsy. I have about two months to live.”  
  
“And you wanted me to find happiness without you,” Zhou Mi realized.  
  
“But you would have killed yourself to be with me if you had known. A break-up you could maybe recover from and move on, but the death of someone you were destined to love? It would break you. Even if you lived, you would never really move on.” Kyuhyun sat back down, on the bed beside Zhou Mi.  
  
“So why are you telling me now?” Zhou Mi asked, swallowing hard. Kyuhyun was dying, and there was nothing he could do about it. All he wanted was to wrap his lover up tight in his arms and never let go.  
  
“Because if you can walk through time too, it means that we have hope. Not in this lifetime, but maybe in the next.” Kyuhyun took Zhou Mi's hand in his and gripped it tight. “If we can work together, maybe we can break the curse.”  
  
Zhou Mi only thought for a moment, because in his heart he knew what to do. “Okay. If it means that future us will have a chance, I'll do it.”  
  
They laid down together, and with one sweet kiss—that turned into two, and three, and—they fell asleep.  
  
\---  
  
Zhou Mi slammed through the doors to his father's chambers, causing the servants to titter. Behind him glided a young man who was very obviously a prince, dressed in silks and gold, with jewels on his fingers and around his neck. He stood proud and tall, and his hair was tied up with intricate braid-work.  
  
“What is this, Zhou Mi?” his father demanded, setting down his chopsticks irritably—he had been in the middle of breakfast.  
  
“Your Majesty, may I present Kyuhyun, the second Prince of Koguryo?” Zhou Mi bowed formally, and heard Kyuhyun's silks shift as he did the same.  
  
The emperor's eyes widened as he watched them, and then he demanded, “What trickery is this? Zhou Mi, what have you done?”  
  
“I have hidden something from you, Your Majesty. That is unforgivable. But I hope that you will accept Kyuhyun, as I intend to adopt him as my brother.” Zhou Mi's face gave nothing away, a skill that he was surprised he was able to use even though he couldn't really remember learning it.  
  
“Your brother?” The emperor seemed surprised. “You don't have... _those kinds_  of feelings for him?”  
  
“Whatever do you mean, Father?” Zhou Mi asked innocently. “My relationship with Kyuhyun has only ever been platonic.”  
  
The emperor seemed confused, and then relieved, and finally he waved them away. “I will accept him, Zhou Mi. Whatever this is...just explain later. I need to lie down.” He walked away rubbing his temples, and servants scurried after him offering to bring him things or call a doctor. He batted them all away and removed himself to his bedchamber.  
  
Zhou Mi shared a secret smile with Kyuhyun as they bowed and turned to leave the room. They had accomplished one task, then.  
  
\---  
  
Kyuhyun was immediately accepted, given a place in the palace, and renamed “Kui Xian.” He was made an official heir to the throne by the emperor himself, who seemed displeased when he learned the circumstances of Kyuhyun's exile from Koguryo, but settled down and was content when Zhou Mi and Kyuhyun each took a wife.  
  
Zhou Mi had two sons, and Kyuhyun a daughter. They loved their wives, were good fathers to their children, and served their country well. They were real brothers, and no one had to know what the special smiles were that they only gave to each other.  
  
They weren't exactly happy, but they lived their lives together, and there was the chance that this meant that in the future their love would be possible.  
  
\---  
  
 ** _“Good job, boys.”_**  
  
“Where are we?” Zhou Mi asked, looking around. All he saw was white, except for a creamy expanse of skin that was Kyuhyun.  
  
“Heaven,” Kyuhyun replied, “Or something like it.”  
  
 ** _“It only took you three millennia to learn how to work together. I am proud of you.”_**  
  
“Mother Nature?” Zhou Mi guessed, as a vague, golden shape stepped out of nowhere.  
  
 ** _“The very same. Your constant squabbling gave me a headache. It is good to know that you will behave from now on.”_**  
  
“We have to go back to being gods?” Kyuhyun asked, looking disappointed.  
  
 ** _“After a fashion. I have a job for you on earth. For both of you.”_**  Though they couldn't see her face, Zhou Mi had a distinct feeling that she was smiling at them.  ** _“Go now, and serve well. And do not forget what you have learned.”_**  
  
They were enveloped in light, and she was gone.  
  
\---  
  
They woke up wrapped together as they had been, but in a different bed. They pulled apart slowly, their limbs aching from being in the same position for so long, and stared at each other for long moments. Then, with a joyful cry, Zhou Mi squished Kyuhyun in a giant hug, pressing kisses to his face, exclaiming in between, “We did it, Kui Xian! We made it! We actually--”  
  
He was cut off by two things. The first was Kyuhyun collapsing into a coughing fit, and the second was a nurse dropping a tray of supplies in the doorway. Zhou Mi ignored the nurse in favor of Kyuhyun, hovering over him and panicking. He didn't know what to do, and settled for rubbing Kyuhyun's back and flapping his head from side to side, looking around for water.  
  
The nurse did something with a phone on the wall, and then came over and began checking on Kyuhyun, who only seemed to cough harder. She ordered Zhou Mi out of the way, and he meekly scooted as far to the other side of the bed as he could get, hands still fluttering uncertainly.  
  
A doctor came in, as well as some other nurses, and before he knew it Zhou Mi had been moved to another bed across the room and they were checking him over and fixing the needle in his hand that he'd dislodged in his panic.  
  
They finished with him quickly, but all the while he begged for answers. He needed something, anything that they could possibly tell him about what was happening to Kyuhyun, where they were, how long they'd been there, how they had ended up there in the first place.  
He was informed that a friend of his had come to check up on him after his emergency contact had been called and his work still hadn't heard anything, and he'd found Kyuhyun and Zhou Mi asleep together in the bed. “It had to be Han Geng-ge,” Zhou Mi murmured to himself, “he's the only one who has a key.”  
  
No one had been able to separate the hold they had on each other, so they had been taken to the hospital like that, where they'd been for the last seven weeks. Zhou Mi's eyes went wide at that news, and he jumped up and hurried for the other bed, forgetting the IV and being saved by a quick nurse, who caught him and then pulled the IV up beside him. Zhou Mi accepted the help gratefully, and then focused on getting to Kyuhyun's side.  
  
Tears filled Zhou Mi's eyes as he watched Kyuhyun struggle to breathe. “Hey,” he murmured, squeezing himself in beside the doctors and taking Kyuhyun's free hand. “It's gonna be okay. Remember what she said? We have a job to do. And we get to be together this time. So just wait for me a little while, and I'll catch up. _I love you._ ”  
  
Kyuhyun nodded, reaching up their clasped hands to wipe Zhou Mi's tears away. Though he couldn't speak, he managed to mouth, “ _Love you_.” Then he closed his eyes and stopped breathing altogether, and Zhou Mi listened to the heart monitor slow and finally stop. He watched the doctors frantically trying to resuscitate Kyuhyun, but he knew it was too late.  
  
But he also knew that it was okay, because they'd be together again soon enough. After all, they had waited three millennia, what were a few more decades?  
  
\---  
  
It took a while to get himself released from the hospital, and when he was finished Zhou Mi went straight home. The apartment was empty, a thin layer of dust coating every surface, but he didn't have time to care. Kyuhyun was waiting for him.  
  
Dragging the blade across his wrists didn't hurt as much as he thought it would, and the pain was remedied by the remembrance of his love.  
  
\---  
  
Somehow Zhou Mi was reincarnated first, even though he'd died second, but maybe it didn't always follow that order.  
  
It took them more than twenty years to find each other, but as soon as they did they knew who they were. Their bandmates thought they were crazy, falling into bed with each other just weeks after meeting, but the truth was that they had been holding back for so long that they couldn't handle it anymore.  
  
Han Geng seemed to understand, and Zhou Mi wondered if there was something more to him than they knew. Remembering his tutor Kun Ling, Zhou Mi thought that he might be more right than he knew.  
  
Kyuhyun was obsessed with video games in this life (“It's nice to control a fate that isn't mine,” he confessed.) and sometimes that annoyed Zhou Mi, but when he was feeling slighted he just went shopping, and came back with thirteen new shirts that Kyuhyun could peel off him later.  
  
They hadn't completely figured out what Mother Nature wanted them to do here, and when they reached five years together with no word from her, they started to think that there was no mission. Maybe she had just wanted to let them be happy for a while, after all the grief that she put them through.  
  
Being gods wasn't so bad, they decided one morning after they'd spent the night time-walking just to see what their past selves had been like (and to follow up on Zhou Mi's hunch about Han Geng).  But knowing that they had a wood sprite following them to make sure that they behaved was a little unnerving sometimes. Apparently Mother Nature didn't quite trust them yet.  
  
Or maybe she still had a plan for them, and she just hadn't revealed it yet.


End file.
